The Sanctuary apartments add texture, greenery and life to a currently under-utilised but prominent site in the commercial centre of the eastern suburb of Rose Bay.
The site contains a deconsecrated church and a disused hall, neither of which meet minimum access and safety requirements. As a local landmark, the church will be upgraded and repurposed as retail or food and beverage space, with the side annex retained for community use.
A mixed use apartment and retail building replaces the dilapidated hall to the rear of the site. Ground floor levels are raised above the surrounding ground level to deal with potential flooding. This affords the opportunity to provide a bench height stoop to the entire length of the ground floor retail / restaurant space, affording a welcome activation to an otherwise deserted corner.
Bricks from the original hall have been recycled into the façade composed of an off-form concrete frame with brick infill panels. A green wall blankets the stairwell, highlighting the main entry to both the retail space and the residential lobby.
The green wall, dark hued concrete and brick are all designed to provide a harmonious back drop to the church. The contemporary form of the building is pulled away to highlight the apex of the church roof, whilst the corners soften into curves contrasting and highlighting the traditional rectilinear form of the church.
